Medicament



Nov. 26, 1929. E. L. FOLEY MEDIAMENT APPLICA'IfOR Original Filed March 23, 1928 MiMW M ATTOR N EYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST L FOLEY, OF ALT ENA, MICHIGAN MEDIGAMENT APPLICATOR Application filed March 23, 1928, Serial My invention relates generally to improvements in medicament applicators, more particularly to an applicator for use in applying a medicament directly to the cervix uteri,

' 5 and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is the, provision of an instrument of the character described 10 having a cup-shaped applicator member at its discharge end adapted to fit over the mouth of the cervix so that on operation of the device, the cervix can be treated directly with a suitable medicament.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an applicator of the character described which can be used convenientlyby the patient to apply a medicament to the cervix.

A still further object of the invention is 20 the provision of an applicator of the character described which has no sharp edges or projecting members at its discharge end which would tend to cut or otherwise injure the parts with which the device is brought into contact during the use of the device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a medicament applicator embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the discharge end of the body of the applicator with the plunger thereof omitted,

Figure 3 is a section substantially along the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4: is an edge view of the plunger of the applicator.

The improved instrument comprises a tubular body 1 which, for convenience of handling, has a pair of oppositely extending 1ntegral ring members 2 and 3, respectively, at one end thereof. The respective ring members are sufficiently large to permit the insertion of the thumb and the first finger of the hand of the user of the device so that the tubular body 1 may be conveniently and easily held andmanipulated. The body 1 is substantially straight for the greater part of its No. 264,199. Renewed October 8, 1929.

length from its juncture with the rings 2 and 3 but the other end portion of the tubular body gradually increases in cross sectional area toward its extremity and curves laterally as indicated at 4-. at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the major portion of the tubular body 1. The enlarged laterally curv ing portion 4r, of the tubular body is the discharge end thereof and the bore 5 of the tubular body is enlarged in the enlarged end portion 4; of the tubular body to producea chamber 6 in which an expelling member or plunger 7 is slidable. The inner wall of the tubular body is provided with an angular recess 8 at theinner end of the chamber 6 for the reception of an angular integral boss 9 on the inner face of the member 7 when the member 7 is in its fully retracted or innermost position in the chamber 6. The member 7 thus may be considered as a movable floor for the space within the chamber 6 and the outer face of the member 7 is hollowed out or concavely curved at 10 so that a considerable quantity of a suitable medicament will be disposed within the cup-shaped discharge end of the device, even when the member 7 is in its outwardly projected or outermost position as shown in Figure 1 with its edge flush with the rounded off edge 11 of the discharge end portion of the tubular body.

A stem for sliding the member 7 back and forth in the chamber 6 comprises a flexible section 12 having a screw threaded attaching outer end portion 13 engaged with an inclined threaded socket 1a in the boss 9 and having a screw threaded attaching inner end portion 15 engaged with a screw threaded axial socket 16 in the adjacent end of a rigid section 17 of the stem. The section 17 of the stem protrudes from the rearward end of the bore of the tubular body and is enlarged at its outer end to produce a ring member 18 of suflicient size to be engaged by the index finger of the hand of the user of the device. The section 17 is slidable in the rearward end portion of the bore 5 of the tubular body and the forward movement of the stem of the device will be limited because of the provision of a rearwardly facing internal shoulder 19 in the bore 5 with which the inner end of the rigid section 17 of the stem will contact when the edge of the expelling member 7 of the device is flush with the edge 11 of the discharge end portion of the body 1.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The device can be used by the patient to apply a suitable medicament to the cervix. The tubular body 1, the section l? of tile plunger stem and the plunger 7 may be made of hard rubber or any other suitable material and the body 1 is formed with a smooth outer surface. curvature of the discharge end of the body 1 is such that the cup-shaped discharge end of the body 1 will lit over the cervix when the device is in position for use. The chamber 6 is filled with a suitable medicament which may be a heavy gelatinous substance when the plunger '2' is in its fully retracted position. The body 1 is of suliicient length to permit insertion of the device so th at re cupshaped discharge end thereol will h over the cervix and in the use of the device, the rings 2 and 3 at the outer end of the body 1 preferably are engaged with the thumb and middle linger of one hand of the user while the index linger oi the hand is inserted in the r1ng 18 at the outer end of the plunger stem. An 1nward movement of the plunger stem in the body 1 then will cause the plunger 7 to move upward in the chamber 6 and thp me dlcament will be applied to the cervlx. it Will be observed that the bar 5 of the plunger stem is enlarged at 20 at the juncture of the curved discharge end portion a with the remainder or the body of the device to permit the required lateral movement or pressure of the flexible section 12 of the plunger stem during the actuation of the plunger stem.

Obviously, the invention is susceptibleof embodiment in forms other than that winch is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as tanly fall within he scope of the appended claims.

1. A medicament applicator comprising a tubular body having a laterally curved enlarged discharge end portion, the bore of said body being enlarged in said discharge end portion to provide a chamber for the reception of a medicament, a plunger slidable 1n said chamber and constituting the bottom wall of the chamber, said plunger having a concavely curved outer face, said body having a pair of oppositely extending ring members at its rearward end, and a plunger operating stem comprising a flexible section attached to said plunger and extending in the bore of the body for part of the length of the body and a rigid section connected with said flexible section and protruding from the rear- The ward end of the body, said rigid section having a ring portion at its outer end.

2. A medicament applicator comprising a tubular body having a laterally curved enlarged discharge end portion, the bore of said body being enlarged in said discharge end portion to provide a chamber for the reception of a medicament, a plunger slidable in said chamber and constituting the bottom wall of the chamber, said plunger having a concavely curved outer face, said body having a pair ofoppositely extending ring members at its rearward end, and a plunger operating stem comprising afiexible section attached to said plunger and extending in the bore of the .body for part of thelength of the body and a rigid section connected with said flexible section and protruding fromthe rearward end of the body, said rigid section having a ring portion at the outer end, the

wall of the chamber, saidplunger having a concavely 7 curved outer face, said. body ,having a pairof oppositely extending lfingmembers at its rearward end, and a plunger operating stem comprisingra flexible section attached to, said plunger and extending in the bore of the body for, part ofthelength of the body and a rigid, section connectedwith said flexible section and protruding fromthe rearward end of the body, said rigid section havinga ring portion at the outer end, the

inner wall of said tubulaubodyhaving a shoulder for engaging with theinner endof the rigid section of said stem to limit the forward movement of said stem in thetubular body so that movementof said plunger beyond the edge ofthe dischargeend portion of the tubular body isprevente d, the edge ofthe-discharge end portion ofthe body being rounded oil and the outer surface of said tubular body being smooth.

1. A medicament applicator comprisinga tubular body having a laterally curved enlarged discharge end portion formed with a chamber for the reception of amedicamerit, the inner wall of said tubular body havin an annular recess at the inner end of said discharge member, a plunger slidablein said chamber, said plunger having a concavely curved outer face and having an annular boss on its inner face adapted to fit in said angular recess when said plunger is in its fully retracted position in said discharge chamber, and a plunger operating stem comprising a flexible section connected with said boss and extending slidably in the bore of the tubular body for part of the length of the latter and a rigid section connected With said flexible section and extending slidably in the bore of the tubular body for the remainder of the length of the tubular body and protruding from the bore of said tubular body. 1

ERNEST L. FOLEY, M. D. 

